China's consumer electronics manufacturer Dexim has announced the release of a multi-functional power case to complement the new iPod Nano 5G. Coming with a powerful flashlight to help shoot video in low light conditions, a built-in speaker for desktop listening and an antenna for improved FM radio reception, the DVA004 will also gives extended play courtesy of its lithium battery pack.

Named an International CES Innovations 2010 Design and Engineering Awards Honoree for three of its existing products in November last year, Dexim launched the DVA004 Power Case at this year's CES trade show in Las Vegas. Created with Apple's iPod Nano 5G specifically in mind, the DVA004 aims to enhance some of the features of the iconic music player and help to protect it from damage.

The 5G has a claimed battery life of 24 hours music playback or 5 hours video. The DVA004's own 600mAh polymer lithium battery should extend that somewhat while the strong plastic case into which the 5G slides will no doubt help shield it from day to day bumps and thumps. The Power Case should also keep all those greasy finger marks from clouding the camera lens and the powerful LED (which also doubles as a flash when in camera mode) could just mean the difference between successfully capturing those special moments in low light conditions or missing them completely.

The 5G won't need to be removed from the case for charging or synching with iTunes either thanks to a mini USB connection on the side of the 102 by 42 by 12 mm device. Apple's player already has a built in speaker but doesn't lend itself to the sharing of tunes from the radio, seeing as the headphones act as the antenna. The DVA004 doesn't just include a built in "high quality speaker" but also an extendable FM antenna for improved radio reception. Angular desktop enjoyment is also catered for in the form of a handy kick stand.

The Power Case will be available from April, initially via Brookstone, for US$39.95 (not US$49.95 as quoted elsewhere). Dexim told Gizmag that other models in the iPod range could get Power Case support in the future, no doubt depending on how well the DVA004 is received.

If you haven’t previously heard of TuneBug, that’s because it is a new company and although its portable speaker solutions were shown at CES 2009, they are only just now making their way to market. The products are all based on patented NXT speaker technology which generate sound waves that pass through the surfaces the speakers (aka “sound generators”) rest on, effectively turning those surfaces into speakers. Predictably, there’s a desktop solution which sits on your desk. Now there’s also a helmet-top solution which sits on your helmet, giving you a kind of ambient bone dome surround sound like you’ve never had before – ideal for skateboarding, bicycling, skiing and motorcycling.

TuneBug speakers are highly portable sound generators that connect to audio sources via a 3.5mm input or Bluetooth to transform several flat surfaces into loudspeakers. TuneBug Vibe, which uses the 3.5mm input, is available now while the Bluetooth-enabled version, TuneBug Shake, launches January 30.

The Shake is the one which interests us most, as there are plenty of desktop speakers on the market, but a distinct dearth of solutions for listening to music whilst wearing a helmet, and none of them offer the ability to hear your ambient surroundings at the same time as your music. The Shake appears to offer this latter feature and given that you’re presumably wearing a helmet for good reason, situational awareness in dangerous situations is an extraordinarily good idea, particularly at just US$120.

The Shake is a small attachable device for bike, ski and skateboard helmets which create surround sound inside of the helmet by “exciting” the entire helmet surface which then becomes a speaker.

The Tunebug Shake has a rechargeable battery with about five hours of playtime and charges via the included USB cord.

NXT's technology is also used in the Orb.

Introduction and Design:

What we’ll be looking at in this review is the Nokia WH-500 – a new stereo headset by the Finnish manufacturer. It can be used for both handling your handsfree calls and listening to music. This headband-style headset has decent dimensions and it will hopefully perform well in the upcoming tests.

The device has an over-the-ear design, and is available only in black color. It is very comfortable to wear because of the light materials used in making it, comprised mostly of nice-feeling plastic. The swiveling ear-cups gently touch your ears, and in the same time cling firmly enough onto them. The wire from the ear-cups ends in a 3.5mm audio jack, and a 2.5mm adapter is also available, adding compatibility with devices, featuring that port. The headset has a hands-free speakerphone and easily accessible controls, which are located on a module on the wire. The module features six buttons in all: a volume rocker, play/pause and track selection keys and a call key. It should be mentioned that this particular headset works best with Nokia phones, since the buttons do not function when connected to other manufacturers’ phones, although it still produces high-quality sound.

The controls of the Nokia WH-500 are located on a module on the wire

Both Sal and myself have experienced a cracked iPhone screen within the past couple of months. In my case my son grabbed the iPhone from me and then threw it (he’s less than two years old so I excuse that behavior) and in Sal’s case, it went for a pretty big fall. Sal previously detailed his experience and walked us through dealing with it by placing an anti-glare screen cover on it. Of course, that’s how you “deal with it”, but how can you prevent it from ever occurring?

Back in July I wrote about how my wife’s iPhone withstood a 55 mph drive thanks to the Otterbox impact series. While that case certainly does protect the iPhone’s back and sides, it doesn’t look very pretty. This is what led me to search out a sexier alternative, which I found in the Speck iPhone case.

Speck makes a variety of iPhone cases, including ones that are SeeThru and others that it calls CandyShell. In both offerings you get a lightweight, flexible one-piece case that protects from scratches and looks and feels great. The case also offers a rubberized interior, which serves as a great shock absorber for those inevitable falls. As I mentioned above, the case also comes with a cleaning cloth and a screen protector film. All together it’s a great prevention kit, which doesn’t add too much bulk to your sleek iPhone.

The most interesting part about the case design is how it wraps around the iPhone. To get the case onto the iPhone you first put the bottom corners of your iPhone into the bottom of the case. Then you gently bend your case around the iPhone by flexing the top corners of the case around the top of the iPhone. It’s actually best to put your ringer switch in the off position, since it will inevitably go to the “on” position once you finish installing the case.

Removal of the case is pretty interesting, too, and much easier than you would think. Instead of trying to force the iPhone out of the case, you place your thumbs on the Speck logo on the back of the case and then gently flex and bend the top corners of the case off of the iPhone. I’ve actually tried a variety of other ways to both insert and remove the iPhone, so make sure to do it the “Speck” way, or you may end up snapping your iPhone in two.

I’m currently using an iPhone 3GS and while I’m not a fan of cases or screen protectors, I’ve been sporting a Speck case for a few weeks now. I did try the screen protector film but I removed it almost immediately since it took away too much of the beauty of the screen for my taste. Then again, there’s a pretty decent scratch on my iPhone 3GS’s screen so perhaps the film is a worthwhile tradeoff.

Speck offers so many different iPhone cases that there’s bound to be a style for just about everyone’s taste. The cases themselves range from $30-$35, which is a small price to pay for protecting your iPhone.

This is an update for users having PSP 3000 series of PSPs having Custom Firmware 5.03 ChickHEN R2 GEN-A, new version GEN-B has been released by Team GEN which will let you play the latest games like LBP, Assassin Creed, Tekken 6 and many more recent releases from Memory Stick on the PSP 3000. The update is simple if you have already used my famous PSP 3000 Hacking Guide to install ChickHEN R2 GEN-A, if not then use that guide first to get to GEN-A and then use this tutorial to update to GEN-B.

How to Upgrade your PSP 3000 to 5.03 GEN-B Custom Firmware

• Go to System Information to check the if you have successfully installed GEN-A
• Download GEN-B File and extract it to desktop
• Connect your PSP 3000 to your PC
• Copy the “5.03GEN-B” folder from the files you extracted (inside PSP->Game) and Paste it inside your PSP Memory Stick “Game” Folder
• Disconnect your PSP
• Go to GEN-B Quick Updater in “Game” inside your PSP, Press X to Begin Installation
• Press X again to boot into GEN-B custom firmware
• Congrats you have successfully installed 5.03 GEN-B

Learn More:

Use this Tutorial to make ISO/CSO files from your PSP UMDs

Tutorial on How to Play ISO/CSO files on your Hacked PSP 3000

FAQs

Which versions of PSP will this hack work on?

On PSP 3000 series, like PSP 30001, 3004, 3006 having custom firmware 5.03 Gen-A, for more details see my previous tutorial, it also works on some PSP 2000 with TA-088V3

Will this hack brick my PSP 3000?

No this is completely safe, I‘ve tested this on my PSP 3004

Any troubles with this PSP 3000 hack?

Yes, if you shut down or restart your PSP, the hack will be gone and you have to install GEN-A again and then GEN-B again, just put your PSP in standby mode to save yourself from trouble

First time GEN-B worked and now it isn’t working?

Press Left trigger while booting into GEN-B

I upgraded to higher official firmware, is downgrading possible?

Downgrading of PSP 3000 firmware is not possible as of now

List of games that work with PSP 3000 5.03 GEN-B

I’ve tested these new games as of now Dirt2, Tekken 6, Little Big Planet, if you have installed GEN-B, plz let us know the games you are able to play with GEN-B

If you have any other questions let me know in comments.

X-Mini II Speakers are the coolest mini speakers you will ever spend your money on, much thought has been given to the design of these rechargeable capsule speakers which I am sure will amaze you with their aesthetics and usability, most importantly these sounds just right and even at full volume the sound didn’t crack, example of superior build quality. All X-Mini speakers sports a twist and lift mechanism for more bass effect.

X-Mini II is second generation of the X-Mini capsule speaker which is considerably small and packs a punch when it comes to sound, you have to hear them in person to know about the loudness part, only downside to X-Mini II is that they are mono only but other features do make up for that.

Buddy Jack

X-Mini II Features

• Cool Design
• 40mm Driver for richer sound quality
• USB charging, 2.5 hours charging time
• Up to 11 Hours of playback time
• Buddy Jack feature allows you add more X-Mini speakers to each other

X-Mini Max II is another nice set of speakers that XMI released recently, these are stereo speakers unlike the X-Mini II which is mono only. These comes magnetically attached with each other and sounds even better.

X-Mini Max II Features

• Distinct Design
• 40mm Driver
• Stereo sound with BXS (Bass Xpansion System)
• Up to 12 hours of playback time
• Buddy Jack

X-Mini II attached to X-Mini Max II via Buddy Jack System

X-Mini II and X-Mini Max II capsule speakers makes a perfect gift for your loved ones this Christmas.

We first caught sight of an N20 MP3 player from iriver way back in 2006, but it looks like the company is now back with another player that shares the same moniker, and thankfully boasts a few improvements over its predecessor. The biggest of those is a new greyscale PMOLED display, which is just big enough to display four lines of information, but small enough to keep the player for expanding beyond its 26 x 55.5 x 13mm dimensions. Otherwise, it looks like you can expect your choice of 2GB or 4GB capacities, a full range of supported audio formats (including FLAC and OGG), and even a built-in FM tuner despite its diminutive size. Still no official word over here, but it looks like folks in China will be able to pick this one up for 649 yuan or 749 yuan depending on the capacity, or roughly $95 or $110.

Most cell phones these days come with stereo Bluetooth because even the more basic handsets have some kind of built-in music player. We're happy to see this development, as it lets us listen to music cord-free. Still, stereo Bluetooth headsets generally suffer an image problem of being too dorky-looking. Enter the Jabra Halo, which is so elegant it looks like something you'd see in a high-end electronics store. It also promises to be the first stereo headset with dual-microphone noise canceling. While we appreciate its design, we can't help but be disappointed with it overall. It just does not fit properly over the ears, the touch volume controls are a nuisance, and the call quality is not very good. The Jabra Halo is $129 retail.

The Jabra Halo is an over-the-ears-style headset that is unlike most DJ-style headphones. Instead of something bulky, the Halo is slim all the way around, from both ear pads to the connecting headband. The headband and the ear pads are padded in black foam for comfort. There are hinges on either side of the headband so you can fold down the Halo to be more compact. To return it to working position, simply unfold the headphones and snap the headband into place. Folding the Halo shuts it down while snapping it back into its unfolded state turns it on.

Under the right side of the headset is an LED indicator that shows battery life as well as the Bluetooth connection status. On the right ear pad are the multifunction button and a touch-sensor volume control. You slide your finger up and down the side to adjust the volume, and you tap the plus or minus icons a couple of times to skip to the next or previous track. We found the touch-sensor controls to be rather annoying to use. We often would increase and decrease the volume by too much or too little. There should also be a way to shut off the touch mechanism; sometimes we would inadvertently change the volume as we were adjusting the headset. In the end, we would really prefer a physical volume rocker. Underneath the right earpiece is the Micro-USB charging jack.

The two ear pads can be extended on both the left and right side for a more customized fit. However, we felt that even this was not enough to fix the Halo's improper fit issue. The angle of the ear pads are a little off, so that it feels like the ear pads are simply touching our ears when we were expecting a more snug fit. This does depend on the shape and size of your head, so your mileage may vary. Also, the black foam does work to cushion our ears at first, but when worn for hours on end (we wore it for an entire day), we did get some ear fatigue. It's definitely not as comfortable as a big pair of headphones with ear cups, like the Bose QuietComfort 15, for example.

We paired the Jabra Halo with the Apple iPhone 3G and the Samsung Rogue. The pairing process was smooth for both phones. Some phones require a PIN for pairing while others don't; in our case, the iPhone 3G required us to enter a PIN, and the Samsung Rogue did not. The Halo automatically goes into pairing mode the first time it's turned on; to pair it with another device later on, you'll have to press the multifunction button down for a while until the Bluetooth indicator stays a solid blue.

Sound quality for audio playback was OK. Part of this is because of the design of the ear pads--if they were made to mold to our ears a little better, we might have got a bit more richness from the audio. In fact, when we pushed the ear pads to our ears, we did hear better bass. Left as is, though, audio quality was decent but nothing to write home about.

Call quality just did not hold up to Jabra's promises. When we were in a quiet room, it was OK. We heard our callers clearly without a lot of static. Voice quality did seem a bit tinny, but wasn't too horrible. On their end, callers reported quite a bit of echo, and they said our voice sounded quite harsh and machine-like. Still, they could hear us and we could carry on a conversation.

It was a different ballgame when we stepped outside, however. For all the Halo's claims of noise-cancellation, we experienced almost inaudible conversations when we were out on a busy city sidewalk. We heard our callers fine for the most part, but on their end, they could hardly hear us. They reported quite a bit of background noise and said our voice sounded muffled and a little crackly. During one call, they couldn't make out what we were saying at all.

The Jabra Halo's features include the normal answering, ending, and rejecting calls. It also has last-number redial. If your phone or device supports the AVRCP (Audio Video Remote Control Profile) Bluetooth profile, you can also use the headset to control music playback and to advance tracks.

The Halo comes with a USB charger, an AC adapter, a carrying pouch, and a 3.5-millimeter patch cord that connects to the Halo's charger jack in case your phone or music player doesn't have stereo Bluetooth. It has a rated battery life of 8 hours talk time or 8 hours music playback, and 13 days of standby.

Motorola continues its trend of making tiny Bluetooth headsets with the Motorola H17. As a successor to the H15 and the H12, Motorola touts the H17 as one if its smallest headsets yet. The reason it can be so small is because it has a flip-switch boom mic that can be folded into a more compact shape when not in use. The H17 boasts Motorola's CrystalTalk noise-canceling technology as well as voice prompts that let you know if the call is muted or if the battery is low. The H17 is overall a decent headset with a number of cool features, and it's available for $79.99.

The Motorola H17 is indeed one of the smallest headsets we've tried. It measures 1.65 inches long by 0.67 inch wide by 0.39 inch thick, and it has an oval shape that is slim, small, and very lightweight. On the front of it is a large oval multifunction call button, which is easy enough to press, even when the headset is worn on the ear. On the right spine is a very skinny volume rocker with an LED indicator in the middle of it. Though it is raised above the surface, we did find the rocker a bit too skinny for our tastes. The charger jack is on top of the headset.

When you turn the headset over, you'll find a slim folded boom mic underneath the earpiece. To turn the headset on, simply flip the boom mic out. This adds about half an inch to the length of the headset. Folding back the boom mic shuts everything off, which is really easy and good when you're in a hurry. Also, the Motorola H17 has a RapidConnect technology that automatically reconnects the headset to the last paired phone the second you flip open the boom mic.

The H17 comes with three different ear hooks with rubber rings that fit around the ear piece. The ear hooks are thin and flexible, and when outfitted with the rubber rings, the ear piece sits comfortably on the ear just outside the canal. There are also two optional in-ear-style cushions with loops that fit in the folds of the ear so you don't need an ear hook to wear them. We thought the ear hook option was more secure and comfortable, but it did take a longer time to put it on.

Features of the H17 include the typical answering, receiving, and ending calls, last number redial, call mute, voice dial support where available, and the ability to transfer calls from the headset to the phone and vice versa. It also has multipoint support, which means it can connect up to two devices at the same time. When there's an incoming call on one of the two phones, the headset will announce if the call is coming from Phone 1 or Phone 2; Phone 1 is the first connected phone, and Phone 2 is the second. You can place one call on hold if there's an incoming call on the other line as well. The H17 will also announce the battery level to you every time you power it on, and it'll tell you if call mute is enabled.

We paired the Motorola H17 Bluetooth headset with the Motorola Debut. The H17 goes into pairing mode automatically when it's first powered on, and we didn't even need a PIN to pair the two devices. We were pleased overall with the call quality. We made calls from a variety of locations, including a quiet conference room and a noisier city sidewalk. We heard our callers just fine in all situations. There was a bit of static at times, but nothing that was too distracting.

On their end, callers said call quality was good most of the time, especially in quieter situations. Our voice sounded natural without a lot of distortion. In noisier situations, like on a city sidewalk or in a busy restaurant, they heard more static and even clicking at times. Still, we could hear each other just fine for the most part. The H17 even did well in moderately windy conditions (up to 5 mph, according to Motorola), though it didn't block out the wind noise completely and voice quality did suffer a little. Overall, the H17 did a good job blocking out extraneous.

The Motorola H17 has a rated talk time of up to 5 hours and a standby time of up to seven days. It has a quick-charge feature that only takes 15 minutes to charge it up for 2 hours of talk time.

We’ve just posted the RCA S2001 Jet 1GB Sport Media Player with FM Tuner. As a comparison and another choice for a sport MP3 Player, here is the Sandisk Sansa Clip 1GB MP3 Player with its price, features and specs. The Sandisk Sansa Clip 1GB MP3 Player with FM Radio is a cute MP3 player that is very convenient to carry around for its clip. Whether just your jogging, walking or simply sitting, you don’t have to worry of your music player from falling off your pocket because the Sandisk Sansa Clip 1GB MP3 Player can be clipped to your clothing.

SanDisk Sansa Clip 1 GB MP3 Player Beside a Coin and a Golf Ball

Sansa Clip 1GB MP3 Player with FM Radio Features and Specs:

• Up to 15 hours continuous playback using internal rechargeable battery
• Supports MP3, WAV, secure WMA, and Audible digital audio file formats
• Includes digital FM tuner with 20 preset stations voice recorder with built-in microphone
• Hi-speed USB 2.0 port for fast and easy transfer of files
• Additional Features: Equalizer Controls, FM Stereo Tuner, Voice Recorder
• Display Features: Battery Level, Elapsed Time, ID3 Tag Info, Play Mode
• Digital Storage Media: 1 GB (Built-in Memory)
• PC Interface Supported: USB 2.0
• Battery Run Time: Up to 15 hrs.
• Battery Type: Internal Battery
• Dimensions (W X D X H): 1.35″ x 0.65″ x 2.17″
• Weight: 0.92 ounces
• MPN: SDMX11R-1024K-A70

On Amazon, we may purchase the SanDisk Sansa Clip 1GB MP3 Player with FM Radio (new) for less than $30 with free shipping. That’s a good offer compared to its regular price of $40 – $54 for brand new ones. If the SanDisk Sansa Clip 1GB MP3 Player memory capacity isn’t enough for your music needs, then you might want the Sandisk Sansa Clip 2GB MP3 Player.